Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Here ye, here ye, there's a contest involving a shopping spree and in my official town crier capacity of getting the best for less, I have to let all my readers now about this! Shopping site Shop it to me Now and American Express are partnering to offer a spring shopping spree to one lucky Twitter follower. Premium Return Protection from American Express and celebrity clothing designer Whitney Port are part of this sweepstakes offering one winner a $3,000 shopping spree to get a new Spring wardrobe. Begone guilty shopping feelings, you can shop with your winnings at no expense if you are the win this spree.

Saturday, March 19, 2011

Pictured: A sketch and picture of Matthew Williamson's one shoulder dress for Macy's. (images courtesy of Macy's)

Macy's has just formally announced that British Designer Matthew Williamson will be the next Macy's Capsule Collection designer for their new Impulse line. Even more stunning, the Macy's prices will start at $50.00 US ( that's £31 for my UK readers) for his line. Bring it Macy's! The collection is expected in over 225 stores on April 13th.

Some of you will remember Matthew's brightly colored Spring/Summer Collection for H&M which included swimwear and accessories. So what can you expect from Williamson's Macy's style? My spies tell me that there will be colorful separates and collectible 70s-inspired dresses priced from $50 - $120 US, with specialty pieces selling up to $300. Key items will include bold, graphic animal inspired print and embellished day and party dresses, bohemian blouses, printed scarves and flirty day-to-evening rompers, all with Matthew’s "iconic" styling. And you heard it hear first, look for Williamson's trademark peacock like colors and prints.

“Working with Macy’s on a capsule collection for spring has been a great project for our company. It's been really enjoyable to work with such a huge iconic U.S. retail brand and to create a collection that will be available at Macy's for a limited time only,” said Matthew Williamson. “The collection aims to capture the essence of the mainline brand, with a focus on effortless glamour, dynamic prints, loosely structured silhouettes and pops of strong color. I'm thrilled to see the final collection come to life and look forward to seeing the line on the shop floor at the launch on April 13th at Herald Square.”

I can't help but think the yellow dress sketch looks a bit like a Lanvin. What do you think readers?

Sunday, March 6, 2011

Just in! The votes for the dresses from Derek Lam's collection for eBay are in and counted. Above are the five winning styles, and I have to say these are great choices! The long black gown on the right might even be Oscar worthy when accessorized with some bling! :) Some of you may recall that Lam unveiled a ready-to-wear collection of original designs at a presentation during New York Fashion Week in February 2011. Shoppers were then invited to vote for their favorites on eBay.com. Following are the final selections with prices in US dollars. (pictured above from left to right above.)

Look for the pieces on sale on eBay on May 10th. I really like the innovative idea of crowd-sourcing a designer collection via eBay. Fashion should be for the end-user, the customer who wears the clothes to select, not the buyer from the department store. With this collection, there is no doubt that the customers have selected what they want to wear.

Friday, March 4, 2011

Urban Outfitters, the parent company of one of my favorite, but pricey brands, Anthropologie, has launched an online collection of Bridal dresses. Move over Vera Wang , J. Crew and The Limited too. The new online boutique is called www.bhldn.com. The site offers a collection of wedding gowns (some very vintage inspired), bridesmaid dresses, party dresses, assorted jewelry, headpieces, footwear, and lingerie. The intent of course is that you'll enter the web site, and buy everything there from dresses to accessories.

According to press materials the Anthropologie creative team began dreaming up a wedding brand after hearing tales of its customers' nuptials (or was it after J.Crew launched their collection?). "We know our customer, and we know she's looking for a brand that reflects her unique perspective. She may have interests common to her friends, but she's looking to create a moment that's all her own… it's not so much about our point of view as it is about capturing hers," explains Managing Director, Kristin Norris.

Designers Fleur Wood, Tracy Reese, and Catherine Deane will contribute exclusive designs from the tailored and voluminous, to the soft and draped, or the embroidered and embellished assortment, complete with refinements like built-in boning and corsets. Retail prices for the brand range from $1,000 to $4,000 for gowns, and $200 to $600 for event dresses. (higher than some dresses at The Limited or J. Crew.)

Look for the first brick & mortar to open its doors in the second half of the year. I'll be interested to see the quality of the dresses. They ain't cheaper, but they are cheaper than most off the rack wedding dresses from designers like Vera Wang or Monique Lhuillier.

About Me

Since 2008, Mary Hall has been the author of The Recessionista® which is read by thousands of regular readers in over 160 countries. An internationally recognized expert on the art of the living the good life for less, she has been a commentator on local, national, and international radio and TV shows. Her advice has been featured in over 2,000 media outlets, including The New York Times, Reuters, Life & Style magazine, ABC News, NBC News and now The Huffington Post, among many others. Contact Mary at recessionista (at) gmail dot com